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Resident urges Kechi leaders to present three steps to mend divisions
Summary
During public comment Cheryl Hobson asked the mayor and city administrator to propose three concrete actions over the next month to bring the town together after what she called "unacceptable" behavior by local officials; council and staff described prior outreach and disputes stemming from the Jan. 22 meeting.
Cheryl Hobson, a Kechi resident who gave her address as 622 North Shawnee Circle, used public comment to say recent displays of behavior by government officials have been “downright unacceptable” and asked the mayor and city administrator to deliver, within a month, three actions that will bring the town together. “I have to ask…for you two to come up with a plan to bring us all together,” Hobson said, adding that the community expects elected officials to act professionally and cooperate.
Mayor Harris and city staff responded that they have attempted outreach since the Jan. 22 meeting and that staff will work to include missing minutes and materials Hobson referenced. A staff member said additional meetings with the mayor and city staff have occurred and offered to release an email and a recorded conversation to substantiate outreach efforts. Hobson also urged an apology for conduct at the inauguration; staff and council members described efforts to mend relations but said they had encountered resistance.
Why it matters: Hobson framed her remarks as a request for concrete, short-term remedies to public friction and said the community’s expectation—given that residents pay taxes—is professionalism and effective governance. The exchange led council members and staff to describe prior attempts at conciliation and to commit to follow-up, including providing missing meeting materials that were raised earlier in the meeting.
Support and pushback: Several council members voiced support for repairing relationships. One staff member noted that some interactions were recorded and offered to release communications to show efforts taken. The public comment period closed after the back-and-forth and council moved to new business.
What’s next: The council acknowledged the request and staff said they would include missing minutes in the packet and continue outreach; no formal directive or vote on a unity plan was taken at this meeting.
